Peters finds a home in Buffalo; Signs two-year deal with Sabres;; buys home on waterfront 0

For the first time in his National Hockey League career, Andrew Peters has a little security.

The 27-year-old St. Catharines native enters his fourth season with the Buffalo Sabres with a two-year contract he signed over the summer that will pay him $500,0000 this season.

"It great!" Peters said during training camp at HSBC Arena. "Obviously, a 15-year deal is better, but two years is a start and should give me an opportunity to contribute more and more.

"By the time I'm done with the contract I'll be 29. Buffalo is my home and it's obviously a place where I want to finish my career.

"I want to have the best two years I can and win with this team."

Peters played in a career-high 58 games last season, racking up 125 minutes in penalties to go along with a goal and an assist. He'd love to add to those totals this season and also plans to step up in one other key area.

"I'm not expecting to wear a letter, but I'd like to take more of a leadership role in the locker room," said Peters, who is the Sabres player representative this season and among the most popular players on the team.

"Maybe we'll have guys who look to me as a leader even though I don't play as much or get as many points or wear a letter on my sweater. I just want to have their respect."

Respect is a two-way street and Peters goes above and beyond on his end, fighting the battles of his smaller teammates, being the team comedian, and, most importantly, accepting his role, however big or small it might be on a given night.

Peters said that attitude comes from having to work and battle so hard to not only get to the NHL, but to stay there.

"A lot of this has to do with the road to get here. It's a pretty humble street doing what I do."

Peters also draws strength from his brother Geoff, a former member of the Niagara Falls Thunder, who has toiled in the minors for almost a decade.

"I think my positive attitude comes from seeing my brother who's had an NHL contract for almost 10 years and has never played a game," he said. "The day I start to complain about ice time - and I've said this over and over again - is the day I don't belong here.

"The only thing I can do is work as hard as I can to hold on to my roster spot."

Peters' work ethic and attitude don't go overlooked by the coaching staff.

At the year-end meetings last season following the team's disappointing elimination at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, Peters said he received a favourable report from head coach Lindy Ruff.

"They told me to keep doing what I'm doing, to keep on the same path," said Peters, who has 376 penalty minutes in 128 career games. "One of the things (they said) that I appreciate the most was they told me to keep the same attitude and keep working hard.

"It was nice to get that recognition."

Peters made substantial strides last year after a gruelling workout schedule during the summer in which he dropped 27 pounds from 254 to 227. He came into came this season at 226 after an off-season of heavy workouts, which this time included weight training.

"I was allowed to do weights, not to bulk up, but to get stronger," he said. "The game is so fast you have to find a way to gain an extra step.

"I'm confident in my fighting abilities, that part of my game takes care of itself. The playing is the part I have to keep improving."

When he wasn't working out, Peters spent the majority of his summer in his new downtown Buffalo waterfront home he co-habitates with his fiancee, Erin Hennessy of Buffalo, and their American Mastiff, Augie. The couple plans to get married next August.

He also hung out at his parent's cottage in Muskoka. Peters' parents, Sandy, former athletic director at Ridley College, and his mother, Anne, moved north this summer after selling their St. Catharines home.

"I'm losing my St. Catharines ties," Peters said. "I keep in touch with a handful of buddies there, but everyone else I see at the cottage."

Even though his parents live much further away, Peters expects they'll make several trips to Buffalo to watch him play.

"I've got a bigger place now, maybe they can come down and raid my fridge!" he said with a smile.

The Sabres continue training camp this week. Their first exhibition game is Friday at home against Columbus. They open the regular season Oct. 5 at home against the New York Islanders.